


A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the 90's

by ThatHCWriter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence (Slight), Childhood Memories, Cousin, Cousins, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Mischief, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent-Child Relationship, Sibling Love, Sibling Rivalry, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatHCWriter/pseuds/ThatHCWriter
Summary: After the battle of the Seven Potters, the Burrow is visited by a group of familiar strangers, one of which seems to have made a terrible mistake.Time turners always tend to make things messy, but when you add in the Weasley cousins, it can get disastrous.ON HAITUS
Relationships: Angelina Johnson/George Weasley, Dominique Weasley & Louis Weasley & Victoire Weasley, Fred Weasley & George Weasley, Fred Weasley II & Roxanne Weasley, George Weasley & Roxanne Weasley, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley
Comments: 15
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a long haul fic, but I have big plans for it. Time travel ahead, and lots of shenanigans with a dash of angst. Excited to get on this ride with you all!

The Weasley family was beaten down. George was bleeding sluggishly on the couch, Fred never leaving his side. Molly went back and forth between the kitchen and the couch, grabbing ice, clothes and blankets and laying them over her wounded son. Arthur hovered slightly further back, standing next to Bill and Fleur. Ron and Hermione stood further back, hand in hand. The others lined the room, a painful, constrictive silence laying over the family. 

Mad Eye was dead. So was Hedwig. If tonight made anything clear, it was they would not be the last. 

Even the air in the Burrow was thick and unwelcoming. It smelled like blood and sweat and dinge, a horrifyingly far cry from the sweet, welcoming aura the place usually held. 

There was a silent realization that set upon them as they stared at their bleeding brother. This place would never be the same. This place where they'd grown up, where they'd made their most precious memories, was now also the place where they learned that they'd been caught, that this war was far from over. 

The silence and stillness was too much for Ginny. She hated seeing her family like this, so lifeless and afraid. This was a fight, and losing drive now would spell trouble later on. It could mean that she could see more people she loved bleeding, hurting, dying. No, she couldn't go there. Not now, not here. She needed air. 

She walked out quietly, careful not to draw the attention of anyone in the room, and sat down on the grass, her back against the house. She remembered flying above the lawn with her brothers, chasing and zipping through the sky, without having to care about anything beyond getting in trouble with mum. She rested her head on the familiar wood, closing her eyes for a moment and breathing in the calm. 

When she opened her eyes, she wasn't alone. 

She shot to her feet and drew her wand at the stranger reflexively, breathing heavily. "Identify yourself. Right now." Her tone left no room for argument. The stranger stood before her, hands raised in surrender. Ginny only noticed how familiar the girl felt after she raised her wand. There was something about the shape of her face, the way her smile contorted into a smirk, and most of all her eyes that felt so strangely familiar. 

"I'm a friendly! I should ask the same to you, I...." The girl suddenly looked down at her hand, fidgeting with something in her palm too small for Ginny to see, when her jaw quickly dropped, "Merlin's dick, it worked." Ginny laughed indignantly, slumping her posture in confusion still holding up her wand. 

"You haven't answered me. Who are you." 

"Look I can't explain..." 

"Rox? Are you okay?" Another voice chimed in from behind them, confusion lacing its tone. Ginny kept her wand focused as she started to debate calling for backup as a boy approached the pair of them, hand hovering over his wand. 

"Give me one good reason to trust you." As the first girl started to ponder, the boy smiled and turned around, slowly. On the back of his worn Gryffindor sweatshirt was the word "Weasley." Ginny tried to form words, tried to think of an explanation. "Stop playing around. Who are you and why are you here." 

"It's um... It's a long story auntie." The boy immediately flung his hand over his mouth, locking eyes with the extremely disappointed-looking girl. Ginny blinked rapidly, laughing uncomfortably. 

"I...I'm sorry, what? Can you repeat that, I don't think I heard you correctly." The girl sighed heavily, pushing her dark curly hair out of her eyes. 

"Look, there's no way to say this and not sound insane, but... Okay, here." The girl revealed the item in her hand, and Ginny's heart skipped a beat. The golden charm stood out against her palm, the white sand in the hourglass in the center slowly trickling down. That was a time turner. 

Merlin, that was a time turner. 

Ginny slowly lowered her wand. "So...so what does this mean? Where...When are you from? I don't even..." Ginny trailed off, suddenly at a total loss for words. 

"What year is it?" 

"1998, why do you ask." The girl's face went deathly pale. The boy almost lost his footing. 

"What's the date." Ginny raised her eyebrows and shook her head, a fearful smile on her face. 

"Late April? If I'm honest, I haven't much cared about the date lately." That seemed to ease the kids, if only slightly. 

"We still have time then Louis." 

"Not enough, this is still tight." 

"Are they even going to get here in time?" Ginny looked back and forth between them, before raising her hands. 

"Hey, hey, look at me. We can figure this out inside, okay? The others need to know you're here." Ginny could see the girl swallow hard from where she was standing. Louis also went slightly rigid. "Are you okay?" The two quickly bit back their emotions, glancing at each other before turning back to Ginny with a resolute nod. Ginny led them in, a strange sense of calm falling over her. She opened the door with little fanfare, but she drew the attention of everyone in the room. 

Well, shit. 

"Where have you been?" Her mother asked, her tone more worried than it was accusatory, "And who are they?" She gestured angrily behind her. Ginny instinctively extended her arms to protect them, before drawing a deep breath. 

"You're going to think I've gone mad." 

"I can assure you, that's not our foremost concern at the moment. Who are they?" Remus Lupin stood up, drawing his wand casually. 

"They... How do I?" The girl stepped forward, drawing the time turner from her pocket once again. Everyone stared at her confusedly. She sighed, bowing exaggeratedly. 

"Okay, why don't I just introduce myself. My name is Roxanne Weasley. This is my cousin Louis..." She laughed softly, and something about the cadence of it sent chills down Ginny's spine. "And before you ask anything, we should probably start explaining." A loud whooshing sound came from outside. 

"That's probably the others," Louis deadpanned, turning for the door. That was enough to draw the attention of everyone, quickly turning to follow the familiar strangers out the door. 

There was a much larger group of kids standing outside now, all disoriented and wide-eyed. Roxanne approached the one that looked like her, a tall, gangly boy, and drew her wand to his neck. "How do you get access to the map?" She demanded, unflinching. 

"What the bloody hell is this all about?" 

"You know we need to be safe. All sorts of strange things happen in the timestream. Now, answer my question." He nodded, revealing his palms. 

"It's in the lower right drawer in dad's office. It's got a couple charms on it but it's not too tricky." 

"And if you can't crack it?" He smirked as she relaxed slightly. 

"You ask uncle Fred. He'll always find a way to get it for us. And then of course, you say that good old phrase," He gently pulled up his sleeve, revealing a line of neat, cursive ink reading 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' Roxanne relaxed. "What's the date, anyway?" 

"April twenty seventh," A very skeptical sounding Remus Lupin responded. One of the kids in the group froze. 

"Oy, Teddy, you lucky prat. You actually exist in this time," One of the voices with a spunk like Ginny's barked casually. Remus pulled Tonks in, faces washed with denial. For a moment, all was frozen, no one exactly knowing how to carry the conversation. Finally, Hermione stepped forward, swallowing hard. 

"Right then. I think we're all sufficiently confused. Let's hear your story, why are you here?" 

The kids looked to each other, before a meek, timid voice chimed in from the back of the group. 

"You know we didn't want to come here. We didn't have any other choice."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introductions are made, and they raise as many questions as they answer. Meanwhile, the Lupin family spends some quality time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay quick updates! Plenty o banter ahead with a nice side of angst! Enjoy

The living room of the Burrow was suddenly very crowded. The kids were all lined up together, almost sitting on top of each other. Hermione, Ginny and Harry stood closest to them, with Remus and Tonks taking up a firm stance just behind them. Even George sat up the best he could, still woozy, but curious as to what they had to say. In an attempt to diffuse the tension, a lanky, blue-haired boy who looked notably older than the rest stepped forward. He wore a ragged leather jacket, and the others could've sworn they saw tattoos crawling up his arms. 

"I guess I'll start. Maybe it'll be a bit less awkward, seeing as I'm related to the fewest amount of people in this room." 

"And you are?" Molly asked impatiently, almost without thinking. The boy shook his head exaggeratedly, transforming his hair into a red reminiscent of hers and gesturing to a think white line across his face. 

"It's Teddy... Lupin... Context clues, people. Here, would this help?" Teddy said sarcastically as he briefly transformed into a duplicate of the werewolf standing before him, before stilling. He went to speak, only to be interrupted by his father. 

"I'm sorry Ted, but I have to ask. Are you?" The man trailed off, silently squeezing his wife's hand. 

"No," Teddy responded quickly, "Just some minor headaches." Remus nearly collapsed into himself in relief, Tonks bending down to hug him. Teddy's chest constricted painfully. 

"I hate to intrude, but we need to know what's going on," Hermione almost snapped, drawing Teddy's attention away from his parents. He cleared his throat, and wiped his eyes. 

"Okay. Well, we're not nearly as sure as we want to be," Teddy steadied himself, blinking at the ceiling a few times, "But I'll tell you what we know... You see, there was.. will be...this.. Spell. I think. More like a curse if I'm honest. It's like a plague when we're from." The family didn't miss how the kids all seemed to collectively cringe at Teddy's statements, "We have reason to believe they found the spell in a book that was brought to light in the Battle of Hogwarts." 

"The what now?" Harry blurted, sounding worried, almost offended. Teddy visibly winced, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. 

"Yeah, blimey I forgot for a second. It's in a few days. If we can get in there and destroy the book before it's found, maybe we can bring..." Teddy sighed shakily, "maybe we can do something about it." 

"About what, son," Remus asked calmly, slowly approaching Teddy. Teddy huffed, hands shaking as he fought the urge to drop everything and run to his parents. There was too much at stake, he had to power through. 

"You don't need to explain this alone, Teddy," a female redhead wearing a Ravenclaw sweatshirt spoke up softly, stepping out from behind her cousins. 

"It's alright Molls, I've got this," Teddy placated, extending a hand to block the girl from moving forward. From across the room, Molly Weasley beamed, leaning into Arthur proudly. "People have been going missing. People we care about... Family. Nothing we've tried does anything but frustrate us and wear us out. Like they said, we didn't want to come here. It was a last resort." There was a period of horrible silence, Teddy breathing shakily while the rest of them stood dumbfounded, unable to continue the conversation. 

"So it gets bad then," Ron asked softly, reaching forward to take Hermione's hand. Teddy laughed tearfully. 

"Anyone else wanna take this?" He asked defensively. 

"We can't, _mon loup_ ," A kind female voice muttered, "You remember our arrangement." No one questioned who the new voice belong to. As if the accent wasn't enough, the girl who stepped forward was the spitting image of Fleur. Teddy hung his head, defeated. 

"I know, Vic. I just hate it." 

"We all do." 

"What bloody arrangement? You aren't telling us something, I know it," Ron said, leaning harshly closer to the kids. 

"We can't. The only way we can use the time turners safely is if we don't interfere with what's already happened. That includes telling anyone about it that doesn't already know," Molls said darkly, avoiding the eyes of everyone in the room. There was a dark sense of understanding that fell on the group. Molls turned to the group of cousins, folding her hands together. "We don't have long guys. We need to make a plan." Molls was gesturing for the group to leave, which drew the attention of Bill. 

"Hold on, we can help you," He said firmly, and the family around him quickly nodded in agreement. Molly II started to tear up, sadly shaking her head. 

"Not with this. I can't say much, but you all will be more than busy soon enough. We can handle this." The others nodded solemnly, but Teddy lingered behind. No one thought anything of it, simply letting the eldest of them stay back. 

"Can I speak with you? In private?" He asked his parents, eyes still shining and hair turning dusty brown. Remus closed the gap between him and his son, gently resting a hand on his shoulder. 

"Of course. Molly, do you mind?" 

"Not a bit, Remus. You can use anywhere upstairs." Molly casually waved her hand in that direction, trying to turn her attention back to George, who had fallen asleep through the confusion. The Lupins walked upstairs, Tonks and Remus both slinging their arms around Teddy as they walked up. They didn't miss how badly the boy was trembling. They eventually reached a bedroom, where Teddy sat down exhaustedly. Tonks and Remus held hands and sat across from him. 

"Are you alright, Ted?" His mother asked, gently moving her hand to his arm. Teddy was barely containing tears. He couldn't say anything. He wanted to, he needed to, but he was bound to this stupid agreement. This was for them, he reminded himself. He was doing this for those kids, to make sure that they could go back to their family. He'd known what it's like not to have his parents, not to be able to go home to them and simply be together, not through a portrait or a chocolate frog card. It was hell, a unique, fresh sort of hell. Something he'd never want to subject those kids, his family, to. Teddy felt like he was drowning, not able to form words, make a single decision because he'd slip up, ruin it for everyone else. He was frozen, at a complete loss.

Until, without warning, his father gently pulled his head into his shoulder and began to massage the back of his neck. Teddy instantly melted, leaning into the all too unfamiliar touch. His mother joined the hug, gently rubbing Teddy's shoulders. 

"I don't know what happens to you all," His father cooed into Teddy's hair, still gently stroking through his blue curls, "but I want you to know this, alright. We love you. We're with you. I know they said we couldn't help, but we'd like to. Just let us know what we can do, alright. We can help you." Though his father's voice was beyond soothing, a part of Teddy wanted to shout. He wanted to tell his parents not to leave him on that fateful night, to stay with their baby, not to play hero. Not to risk everything, but he had to stay silent. There was a lot on the line. 

But for now, all Teddy could do was let himself be held closer. 

So, only the third time in either of their lives, Remus Lupin held his son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm. What next? Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cousins discuss their predicament, and reflect on why they came all this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! We get quite a bit of insight as to why they came in this one, so I hope you enjoy!

"Well, now that we've scared the living hell out of our entire family, anyone know what our next move is?" James said snidely, gesturing to the small herd of cousins standing before him. They stared back at him blankly, none of them seeming to have a solution. A long moment passed, tension palpable between the cousins. 

"Why did we agree not to tell them?" Molly asked sadly, shaking her head. "We could already be on our way to fixing this if we didn't have to be so secretive." 

"We all know that," Victoire added, her tone dark and reflective, "But we can't do that, that's not how the deal works. We need to rely on each other. We can think of something if we do it together. That's been working for us for a while." 

\---

 _Victoire thought back to the first time it happened. The first time her world started to shift on its axis. She'd come home from Hogwarts for a weekend, slightly concerned at the strange lack of letters coming from home in the last few weeks. She'd volunteered to go home herself, fearing that what she might find would be too much for her younger siblings to bear. Thankfully, Headmistress McGonagall was understanding, even offering her help if Victoire were to need it. She took it as good luck, and went on her way home._

_The second she arrived at her home, something immediately told her to turn back. Something was wrong. Something horrible had happened there, and she needed to leave before something happened to her too. She felt like she needed to turn back, but the Weasley in her didn't listen. That was her family, and whatever happened, she needed to stand with them. She drew closer to her childhood home, passing red flag after red flag. One of the windows was broken, there was furniture overturned inside, and her parents were still nowhere to be found._

_'Mum? Dad?' Victoire asked, begging for some sort of response. She walked into the cottage hesitantly, and was greeted by a chilling sight. It was obvious there was a struggle, pieces of furniture were overturned violently, some picture frames even broken and a lantern knocked out. Worst of all, there was evident blood spatter on the walls, some of it smeared. She picked up the pace as she searched the house further, wand drawn. She saw nothing out of place in the rest of the house, and yet her parents were nowhere to be found. Her attention quickly shifted to a letter sitting on the desk, a vial of ink still sitting next to it._

_She only made it a few lines into the letter when her blood ran cold._

\---

"Okay, let's think about this. Do we have a way to sneak into the castle unseen?" Lucy inquired, glancing from cousin to cousin. 

"Depends. Unseen like completely invisible, or unseen as in.." Roxanne paused doing a quick double take back toward the door, "our animal friends." No one missed the smirk from James. Lucy and Molly glanced at each other, amused annoyance evident. 

"It's risky. I'm sure you and Freddie could sneak in, Rox. No one's going to think twice about a couple of birds. If I'm honest, thought, I don't know how safe the rest of you would be." Roxanne looked at her brother intently, nodding with a hint of mischief. James seemed disappointed, but understanding, and a few other faces in the group went dark. 

"Okay, so Freddie and I will go in as the birds, but we're going to need people on the ground. We're not going to be able to get to the library without at least some backup," Roxanne offered, opening up the floor to the others. 

"I don't know. The two of you always have something up your sleeve, any ideas?" Lucy asked Fred and Roxanne, looking between the duo expectantly. Roxanne gave a smirk that sent some of the cousins into fight or flight, and inspired an almost devious grin from her brother. 

\---

 _As if what happened to Bill and Fleur wasn't bad enough, more terrible news broke just hours after the family heard. There had been a break in at the joke shop, and George was no where to be found. It felt like a special kind of invasion to Roxanne, the shop feeling more like home to her than any other place in the world. Those strange staircases had raised Roxanne just as much as any member of her family did, seeing her through life's ups and downs with a smile. Above all, though, it was where her dad felt most like himself, laughing and joking and smiling, and their whole family fed off of the infectious joy that seemed to lace the building's walls. That's also where her uncle Fred's portrait hung, usually to haggle with and pull pranks on customers. Roxanne and Fred loved just talking to their uncle though, about any meaningless topic of conversation they could conjure._

_It was just like talking to their dad. Or at least, a version of their dad they never got to experience._

_Those were moments Roxanne treasured, with her family as it should be; joyful, peaceful, and whole. So when she heard the shop was broken into, and her father and mother had been taken just like Bill and Fleur, it felt like someone had torn a piece from herself. Like she had been cut in half. And yet, that still wasn't her clearest memory from that awful week._

_When she entered the shop for the first time after the news had broke, her brother at her side, she was instantly drawn to the portrait in the center of the room. Her uncle was gone, replaced by a long, violent tear._

\---

"We could certainly try and sneak someone in with the DA. Can we use polyjuice?" Roxanne asked, looking to her cousins expectantly. Lucy rolled her eyes. 

"I don't know, do you see any stray hairs of people who don't have a target on their back?" Lucy almost sneered. Roxanne laughed. 

"What are we going to do, use Teddy?" 

"Letting him be in the middle of things would be cruel, and you know it." 

"Can we not do this while we're on a time crunch? We need to be thinking not snipping at each other," Molly said sharply, redirecting the pair. 

"Alright. So we get the birds to get into the library, and some of the rest of us sneak in. Let's be honest though, when have our plans actually worked out recently? We just need to do this. We can't expect that everything's going to be perfect. We just have to go." 

\---

_James held his little siblings close while they waited for the news. All of the Weasley cousins had gathered at the Burrow, fear and anticipation bouncing around the group. They had yet to hear news of Uncle Ron, who was off on auror business, Uncle Charlie, who was still stationed in Romania, and worst of all, their mother, who was off at an away game with the Harpies. He tried to keep a positive outlook, for Al and Lily's sakes, but James couldn't hide the tremble in his hands._

_Even his grandmother was visibly worried, which was enough to shake even the toughest of the cousins. Rose and Hugo were nestled in the matriarch's lap, the realization that their parents were gone dawning as slowly on them as it was everyone else. It hurt James to see them so scared, to see everyone so tense, and afraid, and not the happy, loving bunch he loved so much._

_A gaggle of aurors made there way into the Burrow unceremoniously, pulling their grandparents and Victoire aside. James winced when he realized his little siblings were glancing up at the aurors, no doubt hoping that their father was among the group. He'd been taken in the attack at the ministry, at the same time as Percy and Hermione, but he wasn't sure Al and Lily understood._

_He tried his best to overhear the conversation without moving his siblings, desperate for information on their missing family. It was a strain from that far across the room, but it wasn't worth leaving his spot. In that moment, nothing was. He only managed to catch one phrase through all his efforts, but it took his breath away._

_Through the door, he could barely hear the auror whisper in a hushed, sensitive tone. "We have reason to believe that they have been the victims of an assassination plot."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Consider leaving a comment or kudos if ya liked it, thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teddy is questioned by the Weasley family, as he reflects on his own motives for travelling to the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the awesome feedback! I really appreciate all of the comments! Hope you like it!

There was a large part of Teddy that didn't want to leave that little room in the Burrow. He didn't want to give up that moment of closeness, didn't want to give up the feeling of safety, didn't want to push his family away into a memory. 

He wanted time to stop. He wanted to drink in every second, record every single aspect of his parents and hold on to each detail as tightly as he could. 

But he knew better. That wasn't why they all were there. They weren't there for him to dwell on a dream, they were there for the others to get the chance to live. 

\---

 _Teddy remembered exactly where he was when he heard what happened to the Weasley family. He'd been sitting in the Hufflepuff common room, sprawled out napping on his favorite couch. Yes, he was technically supposed to be watching the first years, but being head boy was completely exhausting, so he'd let himself take a break. He was shaken awake by Professor Longbottom, wearing an unusually concerned glance._

_"My office, Mister Lupin. Quickly," Neville said darkly, leaving no room for argument._

_"Look, I'm sorry for sleeping on the job I.."_

_"Now's not the time." Teddy raised his eyebrow. He tried to mask his concern as he followed the professor to his office. When they arrived, Neville quickly and sweepingly gestured for Teddy to sit down. Now that confused Teddy. His usual meetings with Professor Longbottom were extremely informal, Teddy usually perching himself on the top of a desk, and Neville simply leaning against the wall, both of them comfortable. Teddy's hesitation wasn't missed. "You're going to want to sit. Please." Teddy felt his breath hitch. Reluctantly, he sat down, trying to gather his swirling thoughts._

_"What's going on, Professor?" Teddy asked hesitantly, fear lacing his voice. Neville bit his lip._

_"I assume you've heard that Victoire headed back home to check on her family?" Teddy froze._

_"Of course," Teddy buried his head in his chest, "Did she find something?" He couldn't bring himself to look at the professor's reaction._

_"I won't sugar coat anything. She found evidence of a break in, and her parents have been reported missing. Welfare checks on the rest of the Weasley family have not yielded good results either. Teddy, we're not sure what's happening, but something's happened to them. I thought I'd tell you before you found out second hand. I'm sorry, Ted."_

_"I... I don't understand. How many of them? Are Molly and Arthur okay? Ginny and Harry? I just... I.."_

_"Molly and Arthur are okay. All of the younger kids are with them now, as far as I know. As for Ginny and her brothers, no one's heard from any of them for a few weeks." Teddy felt his hands shake ever so slightly._

_"And do they know about this?"_

_"They're being told now. I thought you might want a moment alone to process," Neville knelt in front of Teddy, looking him in the eyes, "I see how much that family means to you, and I understand you probably want to help them. But Teddy, it's okay for you to be worried about this. If you need a minute to yourself, I understand."_

_"Respectfully, Professor, they need me more than I need a moment to myself."_

_"That might be so, Mister Lupin," He said thoughtfully, turning to leave the room, "but remember, if you need anyone, reach out. My door is always unlocked."_

\---

Teddy and his parents were greeted by the somehow even more disheveled looking Weasley clan when they got to the bottom of the stairs. The cousins were still outside, leaving Teddy feeling like he was somehow both right at home and in a foreign nation all at once. He stepped in front of them, casually rolling up the sleeves of his leather jacket, revealing a few lines of black ink. Hermione stepped forward awkwardly, as if she was approaching a dangerous animal. 

"So... Well, I'm not sure how to ask this.." She trailed off, gesturing aimlessly. Teddy smirked and nodded encouragingly, fairly sure he knew what was coming. "Are you... Are you the only..." Teddy chuckled. 

"I'll spare you the discomfort. Yes, I am the only one here who is not a Weasley by blood. No, I don't mind a bit." He flashed a playful smirk. Hermione seemed content with the answer. 

"How'd you fall in with that lot?" Fred asked dryly, drawing a laugh from Teddy. 

"You're kidding," Teddy laughed breathlessly, contemplating just how much detail he could discuss, "Look, I can't get into it, but they're family to me. Exhausting, yes, but I protect them. Merlin, they're why I came." Hermione pinched her nose. 

"I don't suppose you can tell us any more about that?" Teddy reluctantly shook his head. 

"I am truly sorry that I can't say more... I'll tell you it gets bad. Uh, It's not pretty. Where we're from. Not lately, at least..." Teddy drew a shaky breath. "They asked me to help them," Teddy smiled distantly, "They would do it for me." 

\---

 _"Grandmum?" Teddy asked politely yet tearfully when he floo'd back to his grandmother's home. He couldn't think of anything else to do, especially not after the younger ones started to talk about a plan. They wanted to use Harry's time turner, go back to the battle and fix things, but he didn't have the energy to think about that, not at the moment. He was too overwhelmed to be of any use to the others, but he couldn't just pretend that it didn't happen. He needed to talk to someone, and there was only one person he could think to go to. Andromeda stood reflexively, crossing to her shaking grandson with careful regard._

_"What happened, Ted?" She gathered the boy into her arms, massaging his neck ever so slightly. Teddy relaxed slightly, trying not to let it all come flowing out._

_"You haven't heard?" Teddy asked dumbfoundedly. Andromeda shook her head as he pulled back slightly. "The Weasleys've gone bloody missing. Just up and vanished." Andromeda's eyes widened._

_"Teddy, I don't know what to say. Are you alright?" Teddy sighed, running his fingers through his hair contemplatively. He saw no point in lying to her._

_"No.." He said tearfully, shaking his head for a long while before finally letting it out, "Gran, they're already making a plan to get them back." Andromeda smiled fondly._

_"Well I'd expect nothing less," she whispered, rubbing Teddy's back. He hardened, beginning to speak quickly and thoughtlessly._

_"They want to use a time turner. Maybe as far back as the battle." Andromeda's ministrations abruptly stopped._

_"And you're concerned about this? About going back to when your parents..."_

_"Yeah. Gran, I... I want to help them. I really do..." Teddy trailed off softly, shaking his head, "But what if I get attached? You know, I meet them, I realize I don't want them to go, I get in the way and I mess everything up..." Andromeda's grip on him tightened. Teddy wiped his eyes, hands tensing uncomfortably, "I've... I've accepted that I'm not meant for a life with my parents. It was hard, but I did it," Teddy paused, "What if I get too attached? What if I lose some of the progress I made? It's too risky, Gran. I can't do that to them, I can't..."_

_"Ted," Andromeda cupped his cheek, "They can't do this without you." Teddy looked up at her, nodding resolutely. "Teddy dear, you are the most selfless person I've ever met. Merlin, the fact you're even worried about this says a lot about you," she pulled his head into her shoulder, "It's going to be strange, Ted. No getting around that. But please, please remember, you deserve to see your parents just as much as they deserve to have theirs back." Andromeda rubbed his neck, looking into his eyes intently, "You're not going to do anything rash, my boy. You're going for them. And I am so, so proud of you for that." Teddy nodded softly, a sad smile on his face._

_Andromeda smiled, brushing her hand through his hair. He stood with gentle confidence. "And Teddy?" He turned back to face Andromeda, who was smiling contemplatively. "Don't avoid them. You have an opportunity, Ted. Take it."_

\---

Teddy hovered close to his parents as the others filed into the Burrow, determination in their eyes. He felt a hand on his forearm, grip him suddenly. Victoire. "Can I borrow you for a moment?" She asked gently, glancing between Teddy and his father. Reluctantly, he agreed, following her to a corner just outside of the main room. 

"What's going on Vic?" 

"Are you okay, _mon loup_? This has to be a lot for you." Teddy almost sneered. 

"That's putting it lightly." Vic took his hand, rubbing his palm gently. 

"You know you can talk to me. Even here, I'm still with you," she whispered. Teddy kissed her hand delicately, smiling sadly. "I need to be honest with you," she said with her eyes on the ground, reaching into her pocket. "I found this when I went to go check on my parents. I uh... I thought someone needed to see it. Before we get any further." Teddy took it from her hesitantly, regarding it as if it could bite him. He unfolded it slowly, taking in the content with fearful regard. 

Victoire, Dominique, and Louis;   
I hate to tell you this in writing, but I haven't got another choice. I discovered evidence of a curse at work today, one that we thought was lost knowledge after the battle. I can't go into detail, but it's not exactly friendly. From what we understand, it seems to effect families, but we can't be sure. I don't want to frighten you, but you need to know the truth. Our family as a whole may be in danger. Take care of your cousins, while I try to get to the bottom of this. 

But if all else fails: Be prepared to run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, a cliffhanger! I really appreciate comments and kudos! Let me know what you think and have a wondeful day!


End file.
